Bible Questions and Answers

 

 

Thank you for asking a question on This is your Bible.

(All quotations from the New King James translation unless stated otherwise).

 The Bible never speaks in terms of ‘giving our life to Christ’ and I suspect that if we wait until we ‘feel ready’ we never will.I would suggest that you try to change your perception of the need to give your life to Christ and look at your situation in the way that the New Testament presents the Gospel.

Because of Adam’s disobedience we all die.Nothing of us survives death as some churches would have us believe.

Ecclesiastes 9:5... the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing...

Our ‘soul’ is not immortal.

Ezekiel 18:4... The soul who sins shall die.

God has provided a way for us to escape the consequences of our sins in Jesus Christ.This is the gospel preached in the New Testament.

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved;

 

This is of course not the whole requirement but the beginning.Included in it is the concept of repentance or turning around from our old way of life.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;

Baptism signifies 2 things:

1.    The washing away of all our previous sins.

Acts 22:16 ‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

2.    The death of our old way of life and the start of a new.

Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 

The point is that if we do this we shall be raised from death to everlasting life when Christ returns.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

A life in Christ is not easy but nothing that he requires of us is burdensome.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

He does not require us to be celibate but that we avoid fornication (sex outside of marriage).

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

His commandments are to love God and our fellow man.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, "‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 "This is the first and great commandment. 39 "And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

 

Romans 13:9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

James 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;

Our neighbour includes our enemies.

Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

This is what we set out to do when in your words we ‘give our life to Christ’.We will often fail to live up to his high standard but it is for this reason that Christ has become our High Priest at God’s right hand.

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

He makes intercession for our weakness and failures because he understands our nature.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

If we confess sin in prayer it will be forgiven.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 He is our advocate.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

The point of being baptised into a body of believers is that we are able to help one another.

Hebrews 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

The breaking of breadwas instituted that we might have regular fellowship and self examination in remembrance of Christ dying for us. Fellowship with those of like faith is extremely valuable.If we meet on the first day of each week we have a ‘fresh start’ so to speak. In reality each day is a new start because we cannot undo what has gone before but we can ask forgiveness and try harder in the days that remain.

AV Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 You are right to be apprehensive about living a Christ-like life but you should bear in mind that if we could live a perfect life in the sight of God then Christ would not have needed to die for us.

The words of Christ about forgiveness are worth remembering.

Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

 And the words of the psalmist.

Psalms 103:11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

God will never fail those that believe and try to obey him and trust in his mercy.

 If you want to come to grips with what the Bible really teaches, why not take the free online Bible study course available on our website, www.thisisyourbible.com? This course will give you a background in the major themes of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. As with everything we offer, there is no cost to you other than your time and effort... You will also have a personal tutor to whom you may pose questions either from the course itself or those questions which come to you as you read the Bible.

I hope this helps.

Glenn Smith